T w e n t y S i d e d

Girls und Panzer the anime debuted in 2012. It was created or conceived sometime in 2011 as a TV series, with ideas likely originating a few years earlier. Takaaki Suzuki, who is variously listed as an assistant-producer, advisor, or consultant; had previously acted as a military history advisor for Strike Witches and Upotte! before 2010. Strike Witches and Upotte! featured high school girls (Japanese) as the personifications of World War II aircraft and guns, just as the slightly-later Kantai Collection starred high school girls (Japanese) as the personifications of WWII warships. All of these series achieved success; wide and outrageous success in every case except Upotte! But Girls und Panzer did it differently, and is the only property still working with the original plot and characters.

All of the media properties I have named were the products of several trends intersecting. Alternate history that deviated from or built on World War II was the origin of many anime in the first two decades of the twenty-first century. The slice-of-life anime trend factors mainly because the cast more often than not was taken from a class of high school girls. The main characteristic of this type of anime does not feature, however. That is, slice-of-life centers on the daily encounters and challenges of “normal” life, or secondarily blows them up to absurd levels for comedic effect. The school club anime surged around the same time. This type of anime most frequently depicted unusual or rare activities at its peak, but was also used to frame several other genres from spicy, to horror, to sports. In fact the sports anime provides a lot of structure for Girls und Panzer, although as several reviewers have noted the series plays very loosely with the sports anime tropes in order to center other elements. Finally it has to be included that Girls und Panzer is solidly “moe,” a creation style that does not really have a direct analogue in the English language. “Moe” is typically described as “cuteness” and adopted a visual design of more exaggerated proportions, thicker lines, soft focus and pastel colors; but more broadly it describes the entire creation of the environment of the story. The cuteness of the characters and their world is emphasized. I suspect this actually enhanced these alt-history style properties, as the contradiction between cuteness and reality, even when soft-played; creates an interesting dynamic.

Girls und Panzer has been on my mind lately because I noticed a lot of people getting interested in the series (on YouTube). At least two different former U.S. tankers have watched the series in the past year and reacted positively. The fifth release in the six episode Das Finale movie series comes out later this year. One of the U.S. tankers even brought up a reference I had never heard of, a very minor bit in one episode. Just a few seconds. And it looks like you would never know about it unless you were familiar with U.S. tankery schools. Neat! Revisiting all the productions like this illustrated why Girls und Panzer has had significant staying power in the anime market. This series did things differently, and established a world where improbability was acceptable even while the narrative was ostensibly framed by the “real.”

Unlike the other series mentioned, the characters of Girls und Panzer are all…normal. They’re just average Japanese high school girls. Historical references are indeed piled like spaghetti throughout each episode, but the characters view the history the same way the viewer would. Although, it’s important to note, as the name of the series implies, through a pretty narrow tank-centric view. For that matter, we should probably discuss the concept: Girls und Panzer. Or, in English, Girls And Tanks. Panzer being an abbreviation of “panzerkampfwagen.” “Kampfwagen” means “fighting vehicle;” “panzer” means “armored,” therefore “panzerkampfwagen” means “armoredfightingvehicle” in German. “Panzer” for short. Or…tanks.

The concept then goes into something like alternate history, but we need to be clear this is a thoroughly fictionalized setting with the appearance and basis of a “future Earth” or “future Japan.” That second part is more important than I think most viewers realize, as we will cover in the future.

In an unspecified future time period, (Japanese) (girls) high schools are partially, mostly, or entirely located on oceangoing ships designed like huge aircraft carriers. And by huge, I mean even the smallest “school ship” is to a modern aircraft carrier what a modern aircraft carrier is to a canoe. And the smallest school ship is 1/6th the size of the largest. They actually, briefly, give a reason for the school ships existing; which is about as important as explaining why the aliens are green in any given SciFi. At least at first glance. The setting of the school ships is used narratively to compare the schools a couple of times, but more importantly it creates distance from reality. The ships are so absurd and unjustified from our point of view it helps create a world sufficiently distant from ours. That the characters live on these ships is effectively ignored throughout the rest of the series, with scattered reminders of this fact, such as seeing the ships docking to enable the use of the land.

Our viewpoint character and ongoing primary protagonist is Miho Nishizumi, who has transferred to Oarai High School for her second year (of three; this is Japan) of High School. These early depictions show her to be jumpy, deferential, and likely suffering from some kind of severe home life. When she is awakened by an alarm clock Miho leaps up, makes her bed precisely, and is about to start changing clothes when she remembers she is not at home anymore. This realization cheers her a great deal. She is approached by two classmates at lunchtime, and seems both dismayed that she has been noticed, but also surprised that the girls want to have lunch with her. Miho knows both the names and birthdays of the two girls. This has been used in other slice-of-life and school club anime series to depict oddness or desperation. These factors have not been introduced, and we learn later in the anime Miho just has a natural affinity for detail. In fact, she has memorized the names and birthdays of everyone in the class, just so she knows. She explains this behavior as “so she can make friends easier,” but not only have we seen that Miho seems more comfortable not being noticed, later we see most likely this is just what she would have done anyway. But on that note, there’s also something to be said about Miho’s reaction when the two classmates, Saori and Hana, express their desire to be friends with Miho (through the Japanese-significant use of first names). She is overjoyed, and the viewer may remember the highly-regimented routine she initially associated with “home.” So there is something to her explanation.

At lunch the reason for Miho’s transfer to Oarai is brought up and Hana gets uncomfortably close to the story behind this move just by guessing, although of course we don’t know that yet. After lunch the three discuss personal attributes. Saori is concerned about how many guys approach her (Hana points out, and Miho perceives, Saori is a very open, likable, approachable person and people are, in fact, just saying “hi” to her.) Miho gushes about how happy she was that Saori and Hana approached her to become friends, and wishes she could be as friendly as Saori. She praises Hana’s calm, mature demeanor and contrasts how reliable she seems with how people told Miho she couldn’t be relied on at her previous school. Miho gushes so much she embarrasses both Saori and Hana. Miho puts herself down so much in the first few minutes of the show you start expecting this may be significant.

The plot starts then, as the three members of Oarai’s student council enter the main characters’ classroom specifically to talk to Miho. This, of course, makes her incredibly nervous. On her first day of class at Oarai she is singled out by important people (student councils in anime are ridiculously overpowered) which we’ve already seen she seems to want to avoid. The council President, Anzu (might as well get to know everyone) tells Miho directly to sign up for “Sensha-do,” (that’s DOE, not DOO) “the way of the tank;” translated fairly appropriately as “Tankery.” Miho panics, protesting that her choice of Oarai as a high school was *specifically because the school didn’t have a Sensha-do team*. Literally the ONE THING she does not want to do is Tankery. Except Oarai is starting up their Sensha-do program again, and the council has specifically scouted Miho, and ONLY Miho, for the team.

So.

We know whatever happened to Miho in the past, it had to do with Sensha-do.

Miho protests for the third time that a student can choose whatever club they want and the President just kind of, moves on; telling her “thanks” and leaving. The empty stare on Miho’s face after the encounter tells you everything you need to know. This is PTSD. Our girl is confronting some nightmares. Her catatonic state lasts into the next class when she is directed to the school nurse. Saori and Hana beg out of class to go find out what’s wrong. In the nurse’s office we learn two things: Sensha-do, or Tankery, is a “women’s sport” with a long history, and Miho comes from a family that has been part of that history for a long time. I will point out again that this places the timeline of any future “Earth” as, I would say; at least hundreds of years in the future, but again that’s not the point. The setting is to disconnect us from reality, not map out in what world this anime could be possible. I think one could argue this is soft science fiction, at least for the setting. Miho is at Oarai because despite her family’s history, her own experience with Tankery has been negative. Thus why she wished to leave that world and avoid it.

Just then the Student Council orders all students to the gymnasium, which apparently includes everyone “sick” as the three main characters go as well. It turns out this is an introduction to all the clubs, or electives…technically. Mostly it’s a propaganda event to get students to sign up for Sensha-do. The presentation is 99% a Sensha-do propaganda movie, with a final shot of the possible electives, listed as TANKERY…and then all the others. Further, the Student Council will reward anyone who takes Sensha-do with one hundred meal tickets to the cafeteria (free food), 200 tardiness excuse cards, and triple course credit for all other classes. (I have no idea what school situation would allow triple-credit without completely wrecking the system, but we learn later this is fine within the context presented…at that point.) Miho ducks her head and sighs when the movie starts; she has clearly seen this before and wants no truck with it. It is interesting to note, and important later, she does react with disbelief to the film’s line “Tankery will make you a better mother.” Just file that away. All of the main characters, including those we haven’t met yet, are shown during this presentation. Several of the first year students and Mako, a girl who will become important soon, react to the sound of a tank’s main gun firing. The students we soon see as various tank crews are picked out in succession. Saori has a particularly-strong response to hearing that “men from all over will like you.” It is clear at the end of the video both Saori and Hana are impressed by the presentation, and the previously-noted Mako desires the freebies and triple-credit. Again, something that is built on later. Gosh, there’s a lot of stuff in this first episode that is actually the introduction of a plot-point.

Saori and Hana both decide to do Tankery and Miho has a rough and presumably sleepless night. Finally we see our first flashback. (OK, here I have to note that the episode actually started with a flash-forward to Episode 2. This was presumably to get viewers interested in the more action-y parts coming up, rather than this “boring” bit that establishes the story. The flash-forward also, not coincidentally, ends on a potentially-tragic cliffhanger, so the studio was REALLY hedging here.) Miho’s flashback is brief and dark, showing a tank falling into water, the view from the water seeing tanks on a ridge above, and someone swimming submerged, as if they’re trying to reach the surface. Miho hugs her bear (the bear is its own story that does have significance, but less than I originally thought) and sobs. The next day she apologetically, and I mean REALLY APOLOGETICALLY, shows Saori and Hana her elective form with “Incense” selected instead of Tankery, and explains that the entire reason she came to Oarai was to get away from Sensha-do. She REALLY does not want to get involved in that sport again. Much to Miho’s surprise Saori and Hana immediately mark out Tankery on their own elective forms and instead select Insense; apologizing to Miho for making her worry.

This, of course, makes the Student Council flip their lid. They call Miho to their office, where she is chastised and ultimately threatened with expulsion. (“Expulsion” is one translation choice, depending on the script and the source you also see this rendered as “you can’t come back to Oarai next year”, which is…funny…once you get to a later plot point.) Hana and Saori start arguing with the Student Council on behalf of Miho, who stands head bowed and holding hands with the other two. We hear her inner monologue as she acknowledges her fear of returning to Sensha-do, and the warm feeling of two friends who WANT to do Tankery but are currently arguing with the most powerful people around on her behalf. Taking courage from the thought that she will be doing Tankery with friends (possibly for the first time, based on her behavior) she declares that she will do Sensha-do for Oarai. She explains this to Saori and Hana later while eating ice cream (sweet potato, of course. Oarai, Japan is actually associate with growing and drying sweet potatoes both as a product itself and as a flavoring. Anzu, the Student Council President is almost-constantly seen eating dried sweet potatoes.) Once again, Miho gushes out her emotions about having friends stand up for her for the first time ever, and how her mom and sister treat Tankery as something her family just DOES…but of course THEY have talent… And the dreaded “…” strike, as the thought is left unfinished.

The final scene depicts the start of Tankery class, featuring the various groups pointed out in the propaganda scene; especially one in particular by herself that was completely enamored with the movie. She stands off behind our three protagonists, but is conceptually included in that group. The student council opens the tank barn that contains the school’s ONLY CURRENT TANK: a discombobulated Panzer IV (panzerkampfwagen 4, panzer model 4). The audience, of course; won’t know what it is until the next episode, unless you’re a tank spotter. I maintain the “who’s that Pokemon?” segment of the Pokemon series was one of its most influential features, and that concept persists in Girls und Panzer. Tanks are frequently shown before they’re named, and often by only small details or shape. The eighteen students who signed up are disappointed in the tank, but Miho; the only experienced person (so far) proclaims the Panzer IV is solid. There’s even a brief little “communing with the machine spirit moment” for the Warhammer 40K fans. I mean, if you want to see it that way. The camera pulls back from Miho, way back….WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY back, finally revealing a fact I mentioned early on: we’re on a giant aircraft carrier in the middle of the ocean.

I argued earlier that the setting helps establish the distance from reality, and this final reveal is both necessary yet, as with the noted “flash-forward” introduction, I’m not sure it was used properly. Unlike the flash-forward which was done for marketing purposes (in my opinion), the carrier reveal may have been better used to establish the setting at the beginning. Not EXPLAINED to be clear, that mystery box can lie there for an episode or two. But I suspect it had to be moved to the end so they could include the flash-forward as a “hook.” Just my thoughts.

That’s Episode 1 of Girls und Panzer, as I see it. The series’ primary power lies in the dichotomy of being both more grounded and more alien than similar series. Of course, we’ve only had a taste of how weird this alternate universe is. And to be clear, while the other series have significant spiritual and even literal alien factors, Girls und Panzer doesn’t create that situation. Reality is hand-waved *just enough*, at least at the beginning. The later film and movies push on that line a bit harder, but by then; we know what we’re getting into. I will try to keep in mind as I get to more recent releases, if I would have rejected the series had that particular film been my introduction. That’s currently an open question. But we’re not there yet. Coming next is Episode 2: Tanks! We Ride Them!

Paige Francis He/him